Adaptation of endemic mediterranean Sternbergia candida Mathew Et T. Baytop in the continental climate of central anatolia

Sternbergia candida is an important endemic bulbous plant with beautiful white flowers. It grows on the rock slopes of Baba mountains under Lebanon Cedars in the Mugla province of Turkey with Mediterranean climate. The plant is vulnerable and endangered due to illegal collection for local and foreign flower industry. Fast developing tourism industry and rapid urbanization has also shown negative implications on its population. The study reports three years successful adaptation results of S. candida in the continental climate of Ankara in the Central Anatolia. Four groups of bulbs based on diameter (>2.45, 2.15–2.44, 1.85–2.14 and <1.84 cm) were collected from its natural habitat during March, April and May 1998 and were evaluated for frequency (%) of emergence, mean number of leaves per plant, mean plant height, frequency (%) of flowering, frequency (%) of fruit setting. mean number of bulbs per plant, and mean diameter (cm) of regenerated bulbs. All categories of bulbs could be multiplied and adapted successfully with variable frequency of fruit setting. However, the highest fruit set was recorded from 2.15–2.44 cm April collected bulbs. This indicated that the bulb diameter and collection time had clear implications on multiplication, propagation and adaptation of the plant.     

Enhanced open ocean storage of CO2 from shelf sea pumping

Seasonal field observations show that the North Sea, a Northern European shelf sea, is highly efficient in pumping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the North Atlantic Ocean. The bottom topography-controlled stratification separates production and respiration processes in the North Sea, causing a carbon dioxide increase in the subsurface layer that is ultimately exported to the North Atlantic Ocean. Globally extrapolated, the net uptake of carbon dioxide by coastal and marginal seas is about 20% of the world ocean's uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, thus enhancing substantially the open ocean carbon dioxide storage.     

Effect of Sodium Chloride-induced Salinity on Phyto-availability and Speciation of Cd in Soil Solution

A greenhouse experiment with two levels of Cd (0.5 and 10 mg Cd kg^?1, in the form of CdCl₂), and five salinity levels of irrigation water (0, 8.6, 17.1, 34.2 and 68.4 mM NaCl) in triplicate was conducted to determine the effect of NaCl-induced salinity on the solubility and availability of Cd in clay loam and sandy calcareous soils. Corn seeds (Zea mays L.) were sown in pots. Forty-five days after planting, the shoots were harvested, and their Cd concentration was determined. The post-harvest electrical conductivity (EC_e), pH, and concentrations of cations and anions were determined in soil saturation paste extracts. Increasing irrigation water salinity resulted in significant increases in the total soluble Cd concentration in both studied soils. A positive correlation was found between the total soluble Cd and the chloride concentration in the soil solution.Solution speciation, calculated with MINEQL+ (a chemical equilibrium modeling system), predicted that Cd was present mainly as free Cd²⁺ ions followed by CdCl⁺ and $ {\text{CdSO}}^{0}_{4} $ in the soils irrigated with deionized water. However, Cd species in the soil solution were significantly altered by increasing chloride concentration, with Cd–chloro complexes becoming the dominant Cd species in the soil solution. Increasing the salinity level resulted in significant decreases in the shoot dry matter and increases in the shoot Cd concentration. Shoot Cd concentration was positively correlated with both the total Cd and Cd–chloro complexes in the soil solution.     

Incidence of liver fluke infections (Fasciola gigantica andDicrocoelium hospes) in ruminants in northern Nigeria

Summary One thousand and twenty-four cattle, 550 sheep and 1,748 goats slaughtered in a rural slaughter slab during 1973 to 1975 were examined for evidence of liverfluke infections. The prevalence rate ofFasciola gigantica andDicrocoelium hospes infections was respectively 65.4% and 56.0% in cattle, 40.8 and 13.1% in sheep and 17.6 and 5.2% in goats. Other trematodes detected wereSchistosoma bovis and paramphistomes. The seasonal incidence ofF. gigantica as well as ofD. hospes was highest during and directly after the rainy season. The lower prevalence rate ofF. gigantica, especially in the younger animals, during 1973–1974 was thought to be related to the 1973 drought. This was supported by the low prevalence rate in the long-range trade cattle which originated from drier areas. The results are discussed in relation to the climatic conditions during the survey period, as well as to the difference in epidemiology ofF. gigantica andD. hospes infections in northern Nigeria.

---

Incidencia De Infecciones Por Distoma Hepatioc (Fasciola Gigantica Y Dicrocoelium Hospes) En Rumiantes En El Norte De Nigeria

Resumen Con el propósito de estudiar la prevalencia e incidencia de infecciones por fasciola, se examination 1.024 bovinos, 550 ovinos y 1.748 caprinos, en un matadero—laboratorio en el norte de Nigeria. El estudio tuvo lugar en el año 1973 y se prolongó en el 74 y 75. La tasa de prevalencia de las infecciones porFasciola hepatica y Dicrocoelium hospes fue respectivamente 65.4% y 56.0% en bovinos, 40.8% y 13.1% en ovinos y 17.6% y 5.3% en caprinos. Otros tremàtodos encontrados fueronSchistosoma bovis y paranfistomus.La incidencia estacional deF. gigantica y deD. hospes fue alta durante y directamente despues de la estación lluviosa. La tasa de prevalencia más baja deF. gigantica especialmente en animales pequeños, durante 1973 y 74, parece estuvo relacionada con la seuía de 1973. La prevalencia baja encontrada en ganado comercial proveniente de regiones más secas, le dá fuerza a esta hipótesis.Los resultados se discuten en relación con las condiciones climáticas encontradas durante la encuesta y a las diferencias epidemiológicas deF. gigantic yD. hospes en el norte de Nigeria.

---

Incidence De La Distomatose (Fasciola Gigantica EtDicrocoelium Hospes) Chez Les Ruminants De Nigeria Du Nord

Résumé 1 024 bovins, 550 moutons et 1 748 chèvres abattus dans les abattoirs ruraux de 1973 à 1975 ont été examinés pour l'étude des affections hépatiques à trématodes. La répartition moyenne des infections àFasciola gigantica et àDicrocoelium hospes a respectivement été de 65,4 p. 100 et 56 p. 100 chez les bovins, de 40,8 p. 100 et de 13,1 p. 100 chez les moutons, et de 17,6 p. 100 et 5,2 p. 100 chez les chèvres. Les autres trématodes mis en évidence ont étéSchistosoma bovis ainsi que des paramphistomes. L'incidence saisonnière deFasciola gigantica tout comme celle deDicrocoelium hospes a été plus élevée durant et directement après la saison des pluies. Le niveau plus bas deFasciola gigantica spécialement chez les animaux les plus jeunes durant 1973–1974 paraît être en relation avec la sécheresse de 1973, de qui semble être confirmé par le taux peu élevé observé chez le bétail de commerce originaire des régions les plus sèches.Les résultats observés sont discutés en relation avec les conditions climatiques dominantes durant la période de l'enquête aussi bien qu'en fonction des différences épidémiologiques des infections àFasciola gigantica etDicrocoelium hospes en Nigeria du Nord.

     

Phytotoxicity of solanapyrones A and B produced by the chickpea pathogen Ascochyta rabiei(Pass.) Labr. and the apparent metabolism of solanapyrone A by chickpea tissues

When chickpea shoots were placed in solanapyrone A, the compound could not be recovered from the plant and symptoms developed. These consisted of loss of turgor, shrivelling and breakage of stems and flame-shaped, chlorotic zones in leaflets. In similar experiments with solanapyrone B, only 9.4% (22 μ g) of the compound taken up was recovered and stems remained turgid but their leaflets became twisted and chlorotic and some abscized.Cells isolated from leaflets of 12 chickpea cultivars differed by up to five-fold in their sensitivity to solanapyrone A and this compound was 2.6–12.6 times more toxic than solanapyrone B, depending on cultivar.Glutathione reacted with solanapyrone A in vitro reducing its toxicity in a cell assay and forming a conjugate. Measurement of reduced glutathione concentration and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity among cultivars showed that the differences of their means were highly significant and both were negatively and significantly correlated with their sensitivity to solanapyrone A. Treatment of shoots with solanapyrone A enhanced total, reduced and oxidized glutathione content as well as GST activity 1.26-, 1.23-, 1.50- and 1.94-fold, respectively. Similarly, treatment of shoots with the safener, dichlormid, also raised total, oxidized and reduced glutathione levels and GST activity 1.42-, 1.07-, 1.43-, 1.42-fold, respectively. Cells isolated from shoots treated with dichlormid at 150 and 300 μ g per shoot were 2.45 and 2.66 times less sensitive to solanapyrone A, with LD₅₀values of 71.5 and 77.8 μ g ml⁻¹, respectively, as compared to 29.2 μ g ml⁻¹for controls.     

The Crown Window — a simple device for measuring tree crowns

The paper presents a new method for assessing crown radii at different tree heights, using a simple mechanical device, the crown window. The accuracy of the crown window measuring device is evaluated using measurement data from different objects. The device is easy to manufacture and proved to be more useful than other more sophisticated techniques, such as digital photo analysis or laser based instruments in estimating crown radii and their corresponding heights with acceptable accuracy.     

The controlled evolution of a polymer single crystal

We present a method for controlling the initiation and kinetics of polymer crystal growth using dip-pen nanolithography and an atomic force microscope tip coated with poly-dl-lysine hydrobromide. Triangular prisms of the polymer epitaxially grow on freshly cleaved mica substrates, and their in-plane and out-of-plane growth rates can be controlled by raster scanning the coated tip across the substrate. Atomic force microscope images were concomitantly recorded, providing a set of photographic images of the process as it spans the nanometer- to micrometer-length scales as a function of environmental conditions.     

Spatial association between primary Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection and exposure to dromedary camels in Saudi Arabia

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is an emerging zoonotic disease. Exposure to dromedary camels (Camelus dromedaries) has been consistently considered the main source of primary human infection. Although Saudi Arabia reports the highest rate of human MERS‐CoV infection and has one of the largest populations of dromedary camels worldwide, their spatial association has not yet been investigated. Thus, this study aimed to examine the correlation between the spatial distribution of primary MERS‐CoV cases with or without a history of camel exposure reported between 2012 and 2019 and dromedary camels at the provincial level in Saudi Arabia. In most provinces, a high proportion of older men develop infections after exposure to camels. Primary human infections during spring and winter were highest in provinces characterized by seasonal breeding and calving, increased camel mobilization and camel–human interactions. A strong and significant association was found between the total number of dromedary camels and the numbers of primary camel‐exposed and non‐exposed MERS‐CoV cases. Furthermore, spatial correlations between MERS‐CoV cases and camel sex, age and dairy status were significant. Via a cluster analysis, we identified Riyadh, Makkah and Eastern provinces as having the most primary MERS‐CoV cases and the highest number of camels. Transmission of MERS‐CoV from camels to humans occurs in most primary cases, but there is still a high proportion of primary infections with an ambiguous link to camels. The results from this study include significant correlations between primary MERS‐CoV cases and camel populations in all provinces, regardless of camel exposure history. This supports the hypothesis of the role of an asymptomatic human carrier or, less likely, an unknown animal host that has direct contact with both infected camels and humans. In this study, we performed a preliminary risk assessment of prioritization measures to control the transmission of infection from camels to humans.     

Application of Trichoderma harzianum (T22) and Trichoderma atroviride (P1) as plant growth promoters, and their compatibility with copper oxychloride

Trichoderma strains are used in agriculture because they provide to the plants the following benefits: i) are rhizosphere competence and establish stable rhizosphere microbial communities; ii) control plant disease caused by pathogenic and competitive microflora, by using a variety of mechanisms; iii) improve vegetative growth, root development and yield; iv) make nutrients more available to the plant. In this work we have investigated the ability of T. harzianum T22 and T. atroviride P…